Free Me From The Crown
by ElephantLover66
Summary: The moment Yuu met the very attractive heir to Sanguinem's throne, Mikaela Tepes, he fell in love. There was just one little problem. He's part of a group that's rebelling against the queen. Medieval AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Yet another collab between me and Mei. This one's actually a Mikayuu fic, so all the shippers out there can give a cheer. Enjoy!**

 **WE DO NOT OWN OWARI NO SERAPH!**

* * *

"Yuu, you better not fuck this plan up, or I will personally execute you!" Guren Ichinose hissed, face scrunched up threateningly.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I got this." Yuu said with his typical confidence, lightly tapping his fist on his chest twice.

"You better not stuff your face at that party, dumbass," Kimizuki Shiho muttered. "Because the last time we had a celebration, that's all you did."

"What did you just say, you bastard?!" Yuu growled, his fist tightening into tight balls.

"Guys, please stop arguing!" Saotome Yoichi desperately pleaded, stepping between the arguing duo.

"Say that to this asshole over here!" Yuu jabbed his thumb on Kimizuki's chest, who scowled fiercely in response.

Shinoa Hiragi quickly intervened. "Both of you, quiet! This is an important mission that we can't afford to fail! The rest of the Imperial Demon Army is counting on us!"

Yuu and Kimizuki made quiet grunts of annoyance, both still training deadly glares on one another. Luckily, they both understood this gravity of the situation and stopped arguing. Guren and Yoichi both gave Shinoa an appreciative glance, glad that the shouting had concluded and that they could continue on peacefully with their assigned mission.

"Well, I guess we should go then." Yuu sighed.

"Before we go..." Shinoa blocked the door.

"What now?"

"Have you even picked out what you're going to wear?"

"Just some random suit and tie, right? I got that covered."

"Oh, we didn't tell you?" Shinoa replies mischievously.

"Um, tell me what?"

"That Mitsuba and I are in charge of your outfit!"

When Yuu saw Shinoa's smirk, he knew he was fucked. Like, really fucked. His eyes widened. Before he could react, Shinoa and Mitsuba each took one of his arms and dragged him out of the room.

* * *

"Fuck this shit! How did they get Guren to approve of this?!" Yuu grumbled under his breath, nearly tripping in his cream-colored high heels as he promenaded cautiously into the extravagant ballroom. He was wearing a spring, viridescent ball gown embellished with white lace and flattering streaks of light blue, which Shinoa claimed brought out the "beautiful, lush green color of his eyes which usually resembled large buckets of cat vomit". A lacy white mask shielded most of his face, and small, ebony-colored pearls outlined the border. His scalp itched and sweated from the wavy, black-colored wig styled in a half-up crown braid behind a delicate golden tiara, inlaid with several generous emeralds. It reached near his waist, and Yuu found that he had trouble holding his head up with so much more weight added to his neck.

He groaned once again, praying for the night to end already as someone's smooth voice announced, "Welcome everyone to Prince Mikaela Tepes's, the heir to our kingdom of Sanguinem, birthday masquerade ball. We are grateful to you all for joining us for this splendid celebration. Please enjoy yourselves on this lovely evening."

At that moment, Yuu recalled how important his duty was, as the one responsible for driving attention away from his comrades so that they could attack unexpectedly, and that this was this chance to prove himself. With his renewed motivation, he sauntered further into the room and inspected the room, trying to identify the queen, Krul Tepes, their main target.

He spotted a table loaded richly with every type of food you could possibly think of. Yuu felt his stomach make a distressed whining sound, wanting so badly to consume the food. The ravishing smell drifted over to Yuu, and he was lured closer. But then, he suddenly remembered Shiho's words.

'You better not stuff your face at that party, dumbass. Because the last time we had a celebration, that's all you did.'

Yuu gritted his teeth together tightly.

"Ha, as if I'll surrender to you, you bastard," he muttered quietly under his breath. His bright green eyes swiftly-painstakingly-darted away from the generously-laden table to search for the queen once again.

However, his eyes instead happened to land on the slim, muscular figure of an attractive blonde surrounded by several ladies, who were all soundlessly requesting for a dance with their body gestures-since women were not granted the permission to demand a dance, that was the job of the men. But although there were so many trying to receive his attention, the blonde never gave it, seeming extremely bored and irritated by them instead. The male donned a black, three-part suit with a white shirt underneath and black tie. The dark color brought out the exquisite shade of his pale skin and platinum locks. His mask was also ebony-colored, covered with a simple layer of shining, black velvet. And his eyes…

His eyes.

"Holy. Fucking. Crap." Yuu mumbled, avoiding eye contact and attempting to conceal his blush.

It didn't work.

Before he could process anything, the blonde beauty approached him with long strides, wearing an intrigued expression.

"Hello there." He greeted with a pleasant tone coloring his voice-one that Yuu couldn't stop thinking about. The ebony-haired boy found himself unable to hide the crimson blush spreading across his cheeks at an alarming rate.

"U-uh-" Yuu cautiously raised his voice's pitch.

"May I have this dance, milady?" The blonde angel looked up at him with piercing, yet radiant eyes as he kneeled, holding out his hand.

Yuu's heart fluttered as the other guests whispered, staring at the pair with an obvious hint of envy surrounding them.

"Oh, pardon me. I am Mikaela Tepes. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Mikaela-fucking-Tepes?! That's the queen's fucking son! Yuu thought to himself.

He gulped nervously, hoping he wouldn't blow his cover. "I'm Yuichiro Hya-Amane. Yuichiro Amane."

He had hardly managed to restrain himself from using the past name he had obtained from his orphanage, fearing that this "Mikaela" would look into it and realize that he was merely a commoner whose home had been destroyed by his mother. Still, it disgusted Yuu to use his former last name.

"Now that we've completed those introductions, shall we have this dance, Yuu-chan?"

"H-huh?!" Yuu was infuriated, although Mikaela's handsomely smug looks prevented him from punching that unreasonably pretty face. "No nicknames! We just met!"

"Well, Yuu-chan, if you insist, then you may address me as Mika. After all, my full name is so dreadfully tedious to say."

"If that's how you want to play this, then sure, Mika!"

"Does that mean that you will dance with me?"

"Hmph! Sure, go ahead!" Yuu said, radiating with pride.

He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. Mika instantly grinned and Yuu couldn't help but smile back, realizing that he had been wanting this to happen the entire time. They took each other's hands and glided across the dance floor, with Mika leading. The musicians performed a slow waltz once they noticed the two twirling gracefully in the center of the ballroom. Yuu was so concentrated on Mika's eyes, that he unintentionally stepped on the other's foot.

"I'm so sorry!" Yuu said in a panicked tone, extremely flustered.

Mika looked slightly amused as he replied. "Please, don't worry about it. I'm perfectly fine."

"O-okay." Yuu responded, still ashamed as he started to look more at his feet as to not repeat the incident.

"It's such a nice party, isn't it?" Yuu sighed contently, feeling extremely pleased with life at the current moment-a very rare feeling for him.

"Yes, it is quite delightful." Mika agreed, beaming. His bright blue eyes twinkled in amusement at Yuu's satisfied expression.

"I passed by the food a while ago, and I wanted to eat all of it, but I don't think I would be able to. I'd probably explode or something!"

Mika chuckled. "Then I'm glad you didn't eat everything."

"Haha, me too!"

"Yes, it would be terrible for such a lovely lady, such as yourself, to end in such a manner."

Yuu instantly averted his eyes, trying to ignore the compliment. "If my friends heard you call me 'lovely', they would probably be rolling on the floor, laughing like crazy."

"They must be blind to not be able to see your beauty, Yuu-chan." Mika answered calmly, without a speck of embarrassment.

"Well, actually, one of them wears glasses." Yuu replied, referring to Kimizuki. He successfully managed to disregard the flattering comment directed towards him, although he had clearly heard it.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, and he's always insulting me."

"I see." Mika responded with a harsh tone, seeming to have a hard time maintaining a straight face. "If you would like to dispose of him, then I am willing to assist you."

Yuu stared at him, blinking rapidly. "Are you serious?"

"I rarely joke."

"Uh, then that's unnecessary. Really."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well then."

They stared at each awkwardly. Yuu casually looked at anything besides Mika's alluring, icy blue eyes.

"Tell me about yourself," Mika spoke suddenly.

"Can I not?" Yuu urged, his tone obviously suggesting that this was not a good topic, knowing that he would most likely accidentally mention something stupid that Guren would slaughter him for later.

"Then, may I begin?"

Yuu nodded, thinking about how he could possibly report to Guren and the others as to what Mika would tell him. The thought made him oddly guilty for some reason, but Yuu quickly shoved the thought out of his mind and averted his attention back to his dance partner.

"If you didn't recognize my name earlier, then I guess I'll inform you now." The blonde hesitated slightly before continuing. "I'm the queen's son. If that scares you away, then I understand."

Mika awaited Yuu's reaction, slightly dreading it, but when the raven-haired boy looked directly at him, unfazed and unblinking, he nodded, his eyes widening in surprise for a brief moment.

"I honestly hate living here in the palace, and living as royalty. It's like I'm a mere puppet, obeying every single one of my mother's orders for the rest of my life." Mika began, his voice low to make sure that nobody else could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"But you have everything! Feasts everyday for every meal, more clothes than you could possibly ever need, servants to obey your every will, and so much more!" Yuu protested.

"You don't understand. It's true, I do have all that, but I also can't make any choices for myself. I won't ever be able to choose my fate. I must inherit the crown and rule when I come of age, I must marry this princess chosen for me, I must stay in this suffocating palace at all times. I'm trapped. I'm manipulated by my mother just as much as everyone else."

"Why are you telling me this?!" Yuu exclaimed, loudly- although not so deafening as for anyone else to hear.

"Because something in the back of my head is telling me that I can trust you." Mika's sapphire eyes gleamed, not doubting his intuition, not one single bit.

Yuu swallowed nervously, unsure that he could be trusted with this information that was so incredibly precious to the man across from him. "I still don't understand why it has to be me."

Mika sighed tiredly. "I know this might sound a bit crazy, but I think I-"

Yuu whipped head back, detecting a familiar voice. It was Guren. He recalled the plan to attack the queen and everyone else at the party. Now that they had met-Mika and him-Yuu knew that he couldn't let that happen. A very terrible, risky idea popped into his head that would hurt him for the rest of his life and torture him with regrets.

"Mika, you just can't trust me."

"Why not?"

"First of all, we just met. Second of all, you don't know who I really am."

"Then tell me. Who are you?"

"You asked for it, okay?" Yuu's voice cracks

Yuu backed away and dashed to the front of the room, leaving Mika clueless as he followed close behind him. Yuu hastily tore of his wig and shook off his high heels.

"Hey, you noble bastards! Guess who's here!" He hollered, waiting for all the heads to face him. "I'm part of the Imperial Demon Army. We'll spare you today, but next time, we're gonna crush you, you got that?!" Yuu harshly pulled off his silk gloves and raised his fist high into the air for all to see. Imprinted onto it was the symbol of the Imperial Demon Army, an organization revolting against the government and plotting to overthrow Queen Krul Tepes.

Mika couldn't believe his eyes. He gasped, gawking at Yuu, who had ended up being a boy, and the symbol of his mother's greatest enemy.

"Good day to you all! And happy birthday, Mikaela Tepes!"

With that, Yuu retreated, sprinting out with his companions, who had also been in disguise, using that chance to escape as well, before the queen summoned her army to attack them.

Yuu ignored the guilt as he rushed into the crisp breeze, and back to the Imperial Demon Army Headquarters, leaving Mika to gloomily pick up his long, sweat-drenched wig and petite high heels.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mei insisted that I update ASAP, so here is the new chappie (already)! Enjoy!**

 **WE DO NOT OWN OWARI NO SERAPH!**

* * *

"I KNEW YOU WERE A _FUCKING IDIOT_ , BUT I DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD BE SO STUPID AS TO BLOW YOUR GODDAMN COVER!" Guren shouted, deafeningly loud. His face was an impossible shade of red, which was only getting more and more scarlet by the second.

"Yeah…" Yuu mumbled, completely distracted by his daydreams of the prince of Sanguinem, Mikaela Tepes. His eyes held a dreamy quality, and his form was relaxed, completely oblivious to his fuming superior.

"ARE YOU LISTENING, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT?!"

"Yeah…"

"AS IF, YOU BITCH!"

"Um, Yuu, if your life means anything to you, I recommend that you pay attention." Shinoa suggested sarcastically.

"Yeah…"

"Are you serious?" The lilac-haired girl sighed exasperatedly, giving up on helping the obviously distracted boy that had flown off into his own little world.

"Yeah…"

Guren's patience ran out at last as he harshly kicked Yuu's chest, the impact causing him to fly straight into and crash into a wall.

"Yuu!" Yoichi exclaimed, rushing to the injured boy's side, looking extremely perturbed.

"What was that for?!" Yuu scrambled to his feet, suddenly filled with rage.

"I was lecturing you, but you were daydreaming about your boyfriend!"

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Yuu countered.

"As if. Who was that guy you were dancing with yesterday evening then, hmm?" Shinoa asked, smirking.

" _He_ asked me to dance! He pressured me into it!"

"Sure. Totally." Mitsuba rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious! Why do you guys think _I'm_ lying?!"

"Ah, if only you could've seen how gay you two were." The small girl sighed disappointedly. "Then, you would _surely_ understand."

"Okay, we get it guys. Yuu is gay for the enemy. Done. It's been said. Now, can we please discuss our plans for our next attack?" Kimizuki cut in.

"Don't just dismiss the topic so easily!" Yuu yelled with fury.

"It sure seemed like you wanted to change the topic." The blonde haired girl muttered.

"UGH! Whatever! Guren, just tell us the new plan."

"About time. Fucking Kureto assigning me to these kids..." Guren muttered under his breath, clearly irritated. "Since a _certain moron_ decided to not follow his _extremely simple_ orders, the founders of the Imperial Demon Army have their blades ready with our names on them-basically, they're out for our heads. Very, very, _very_ luckily, they said that they would give us _only_ one more chance to get this right. So, our new directions were to pose as servants in the castle and try to find out as much as we can about them, then report back to the Imperial Demon Army. We'll be in the castle for two weeks and the mission starts next week, got it?"

Everyone nodded in unison, anxious to finally make progress in the battle against Queen Krul Tepes.

* * *

"I can't _believe_ those Imperial Demon Army brats made it into the ball last night!" Krul whined loudly, slouching ungracefully on her throne, her chin resting on her left fist. She fiddled with a small white bow sewn onto her delicate, short-cut dress, eyes dull.

Mika sat, with perfect posture, to Krul's right, wearing a monotonous expression. He simply nodded, his head in the clouds. The events from the night before replayed continuously in his mind, keeping him in a depressed state. When he met Yuu, he was confident that he had found the ideal one for himself. And he was sure that he had confirmed his sexuality at last. Then, everything had to go utterly wrong when Yuu revealed his identity. He was back to square one, pondering on whether he was straight or gay. Or possibly bisexual. Mika knew that he obviously wasn't supposed to fall in love with the enemy, but he had to go and do it anyway. His feelings, surprisingly, hadn't changed when he found out that Yuu was male and that he was also rebelling against the monarchy and probably hated Mika.

"That must've been why she, no he, was reluctant to dance with me. I really shouldn't have pressured him so much." Mika sulked.

Krul's voice snapped him out of his dreamy state. "Mikaela, you were dancing with that disgusting, sickening rebel, weren't you?"

"Y-yes, mother."

"I would've expected you to have recognized him as a terrorist, although I suppose I can't blame you. After all, I couldn't tell myself."

Once again, he nodded, unsure of what else to do. When Krul directed her speaking back to her advisors, Mika drifted back to his own thoughts. He pictured Yuu's brilliant smile that seemed to give him a purpose in life, his playful, emerald eyes, and how he had swayed ever so gracefully in his elegant ball gown. Mika longed to see him again, but he knew was forbidden to leave the palace. Even if he did manage to find a way to escape, he wouldn't know the first place to look. Mika sighed sorrowfully. He realized too late that it was much too loud when he glanced up, only to see everyone in the room staring at him questionably.

"Pardon me," he muttered, diverting his eyes from their harsh, piercing gazes. "Mother, may I please excuse myself?"

"Of course, Mika. Run along, now." She waved him off, as if she couldn't care less.

The moment he exited the room, he fled up the stairs to his bedroom, longing to be alone. He collapsed exhaustingly onto his much-too plush bed and exhaled the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. He closed his eyes, his arm blocking the sunlight streaming from the windows, Yuu's captivating eyes appearing in his mind.

"Yuu-chan… I didn't even get a chance to see your face…." He whispered, clinging onto the short-lived, yet vivid memories from the masquerade ball.

* * *

"Wait a second. We're gonna have to wear these stupid uniforms at the castle?!" Yuu grumbled resonantly, not pleased at all by what he was seeing.

"Of course! We need to blend in." Shinoa stated simply.

Yuu groaned. "Seriously? This looks so stupid." He pointed at the classic butler and maid outfits. "How do those servants not sweat to death?! How do they even move?!"

"Don't ask us." Kimizuki muttered, trying on the uniform to test the size.

"Go change and see if you fit this." Mitsuba shoved the male servant uniform into his arms.

Reluctantly, he went to the other room to change. He entered the room once again, tugging at the sleeves.

"Jesus fucking Christ! It doesn't fit! Do you guys have another size?"

"I'll check." Yoichi volunteered. He rummaged through a large sack, but found nothing except several extra maid outfits. "Sorry Yuu, there's only maid outfits left."

"I guess I can't participate in the mission then." He sighed.

He looked up, his eyes meeting with Shinoa's, whose brown pools glinted with mischief.

"Yuu, why don't you try on this maid outfit. Maybe it'll fit you!" She declared with delight, seeming extremely pleased with herself for coming up with the idea.

"Oh _HELL_ no!"

"Just go. Since you're the one who fucked up our other plan, it's more important for you specifically to redeem yourself." Kimizuki added.

Yuu grudgingly snatched the clothes violently out of Shinoa's hands and stomped away. He fumbled around, struggling to put the dress on, but managed after a couple attempts. The dress was black with ruffles, went past his knees, and included a white, frilly apron. It also included black, thigh-high socks, silky gloves, and a pair of shiny, heeled black shoes to match the outfit. He shyly stepped towards his companions, his cheeks a bright scarlet.

"Wow, Yuu, I'm impressed. You look _good_." Mitsuba commented, eyes wide open. She was even a bit jealous-a _male_ looking better than a female in an outfit for women? That was just unheard of.

"Don't forget a wig!" Shinoa teased, waving a mass of thick, authentic-looking brown fibers in front of his face.

Yuu smacked her hand away and straightened his hair out with a comb, bobby-pinning it place before lying the wig on top. He straightened it out until he was satisfied with his appearance.

"That's much better!" Shinoa exclaimed.

"Yuu, are you absolutely sure that you weren't born as a girl?" Kimizuki retorted.

"Shut up! I am totally a guy, okay?!"

"Sure, keep on believing that."

"I will, because it's true!"

"Hey, Shinoa." Mitsuba whispered. "What if we…"

Yuu couldn't hear the rest, but he knew hell would be unleashed upon him as he saw Shinoa's face light up. He instinctively backed away and got into a fighting stance.  
"Whatever you're thinking, I don't want to hear it!"

Shinoa beamed grinned and murmured something in Kimizuki's and Yoichi's ears. Yoichi frowned disapprovingly as Kimizuki smirked.

"Does it really matter?" Yoichi argued.

"Well, it would contribute to his disguise so he won't be recognized." Kimizuki answered thoughtfully.

"I'm very curious to see how he'll look~!" Shinoa giggled deviously.

"It won't hurt to try." Mitsuba added encouragingly.

Yoichi glanced pitifully at Yuu. "Sorry, I tried."

"Okay, now I'm curious. What the hell are you guys scheming?"

"Hehe!" Shinoa chuckled. "Let me go get the… accessory."

Yuu crossed his arms impatiently and sighed.

 _I mean, it can't be that bad, right?_ He reassured himself. Once again, he was terribly incorrect. The devil herself skipped merrily into the room, hiding the mysterious _"accessory"_ behind her back. She spun around Yuu, who determinedly grappled for the object. At last, she leaped in front of him holding out a pair of cat ears.

"You guys think I'm actually willing to wear that?"

"Of course we don't. That's why we're _forcing_ you to."

"And how are you guys gonna do that, hm?"

"Well, if you don't wear it, we'll tell everyone in the Imperial Demon Army that you dressed up as a girl to the ball."

"Who says that they'll believe you?"

"If they don't, then I'll force them to! I _am_ a Hiiragi, after all." She smirked, absolutely delighted at Yuu's panicked expression.

"I'm not gonna wear it to the palace though, okay? Just for a few minutes." Yuu mumbled, looking away to avoid showing his friends the growing blush on his cheeks.

"You sure? I think your prince would be delighted to see you like that."

"H-he's not my prince! And he _can't_ be in love with me! I mean, he's royalty!"

"Ah, forbidden love…" Shinoa sighed contently. "Isn't it lovely?"

Shinoa and Mitsuba made eye contact, both snickering as they read each other's minds.

Mitsuba rushed to Shinoa, her arms wide open as she kneeled before her.

"Yuu-chan, please marry me! We can run away from my mother, this kingdom, everything, and simply be together forever!"

"Oh, Mika, nothing would make me happier!"

They embraced, leaving their friends staring awkwardly. Yoichi looked away, flustered, as Yuu glared at them.

Kimizuki nodded. "Very accurate."

"That's not what it's like!" Yuu's flustered expression turned Shinoa's lips up in a smirk.

"Then, what is it like?" Mitsuba raised her eyebrows. "You guys definitely aren't just friends. I mean, waltzing with each other? Him choosing a lame-ass like _you_ to dance with out of all the other more beautiful, free ladies in the ballroom? That's gay, and nothing will convince us otherwise."

Yuu remained silent, deep in thought. At first, when he was dancing with Mika, he had assumed that perhaps, the prince simply wanted to mess with him. Either way, without a doubt, he had fallen in love with him. _I mean, look at that hair! It looks rough, but I bet it's really silky, and his eyes are mesmerizing, and his pale, smooth skin… And his smile could probably light up the entire kingdom!_ Yuu mused, completely forgetting his friends' presence.

"Stop dreaming about your boyfriend. You said you were gonna wear the cat ears, right?" Shinoa interrupted, impatient to put the "accessory" on him.

"Uh, yeah."

Yuu grabbed the cat ears and put them on, just wanting to get it over with.

"Happy now?"

"Very!" Shinoa grinned.

"Man, I love myself for thinking of this!" Mitsuba scanned Yuu, an enjoyable feeling of satisfaction overcoming her.

"Can I take it off now?" Yuu complained. "It feels kind of heavy, and the wig doesn't help either."

"If only we could keep a picture of this to treasure forever! If we could, we'd give a copy to your prince as well." Shinoa said wistfully.

"Please, have mercy on him!" Yoichi begged.

"Haha, no."

Yoichi's shoulders slumped as he became quiet once more. Yuu patted his back as a thanks for his attempt.

"I'll survive…somehow." Yuu groaned.

* * *

A few days later, they were all ready to go and begin their mission. The higher-ups in the Imperial Demon Army provided Yuu and his companions with a replica of the royal carriages. The red and silver vehicle was very extravagant, decorated with a minute, ornamental statue of the royal crest, that had been attached onto its vertex. Silver trimmings formed elaborate patterns and outlined the border of the carriage. It was honestly very half-assed, but the bloody red paint covered all the mistakes made. Luckily, the crest was too small for others to see all the terrible errors.

Once they all settled inside on dawn of that sunlit day, the carriage hastily rushed off, although the ride wasn't very pleasant for the passengers inside. Yuu had complained noisily throughout the entire ride and sweating, due to his new, long, hazel-colored wig, eventually sparking yet another debate with Kimizuki. Yoichi didn't even bother to stop them, too stressed after the whole week's activities. Guren face-palmed about ten million times as Shinoa and Mitsuba relentlessly attempted to infuriate him. The miserable driver tried to ignore their loud chatter to get them to the palace as safely and swiftly as possible, but it didn't go as well as he had anticipated.

At last, they reached their destination and they scrambled to exit the carriage. They watched it as it sped off into the distance and then did their best to blend in as they walked on the lowered, wooden drawbridge and into the courtyard of the familiar castle that they had merely tried to take over a couple days ago. Yuu couldn't help, but picture Mika wandering through the hallways as he carried out his day-to-day duties. Soon enough, he would walk in the same corridors, breathing the same air, and living in the same place as the heir to Sanguinem's throne-who also happened to be his love interest.

Before he knew it, he was way behind the others, so he dashed to their side, until the towering, double doors were directly in front of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuu exhaled, attempting to calm himself down, but his heart kept beating faster and faster as he and his fellow rebels separated to different areas of the palace, since they were each assigned to a different field. Kimizuki was to investigate in the kitchen, Yoichi the garden, Mitsuba the stables, Guren working near the army's training ground, and Shinoa was joining Yuu on cleaning duty-mainly to keep an eye on him. Yuu knew he was in danger, for he was confident that Shinoa would tease him the entire two weeks. But he also had to be cautious, because he knew he had to avoid Mika. Surely, he would be recognized if they ever bumped into each other. Then, the blonde would alert the _real_ servants to have him and his friends arrested and held for treason. Yuu straightened out his wig one final time, brushed his fingers through it, and parted it to the side. Already, people stared at him with awe and lust. Shinoa elbowed him closer to the crowds and winked suggestively.

"See? We told you that you looked sexy!" She whispered.

"Shut up. Find something better to do than mock me." The raven-haired boy hissed under his breath.

"Well, even if I wanted to, we both have to go over to the head maid together. After all, if you went alone, you would definitely get lost."

"I would find my way eventually!"

"Maybe after these two weeks are up."

"Hey!"

"Be quiet! And make your voice more high pitched." Shinoa whispered.

"Oh yeah." Yuu replied, voice sounding a tone higher. "So, do you know where that head maid is?"

"Kind of," she replied innocently.

"And _you_ said that _I_ wouldn't be able to navigate through this godforsaken place!"

"I was just stating the truth."

"Well, we both don't know where she is. What are we gonna do?" Yuu grumbled.

"So, you admit that you can't find her." Shinoa commented, amused.

"Can we stop arguing and actually find a way to her?! I just want to get this all over with!"

"Then, shall we ask around?"

"I guess we have no other choice." He sighed.

They wandered around the maze of countless hallways, questioning everyone they encountered. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be aware of her location.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Yuu groaned, completely forgetting to raise his voice's pitch.

Shinoa trained an icy glare on him, searching for any passersby that could've possibly heard his sudden outburst.

" _Shh!_ And stop talking normally! If you keep doing that, we'll eventually get caught!"

"You two over there! Shut your dirty, little servant mouths and get back to work!" An unidentifiable voice exclaimed at them, the person's voice loud enough to cause hearing impairment to everyone nearby.

The pair covered their ears, flinching, and then finally glanced up. Their eyes met with those of a youthful maiden with curly, blonde hair and alluring crimson eyes. She wore a flowy, white dress with ruffles, and a frilly, ashen headband was tucked into her hair.

 _Hm, she's blonde, but she's not even close to being as good-looking as Mika_ , Yuu thought, and unconsciously scowled in disappointment.

"Don't scowl at me, peasant! I am Horn Skuld, your superior." Her red eyes acted as lasers as she trained her deadly gaze on the ebony-haired boy.

"So, you're the head maid person?" Yuu asked, still rather dejected.

"I suppose, although I'd rather you not phrase it in such an improper manner." Horn scoffed.

"Whatever." He grumbled.

Before Horn could scold them and possibly ask them to leave the palace, Shinoa stepped forward and attempted to persuade her otherwise.

"I apologize for my friend's rudeness. She wasn't raised properly. Actually, we've been trying to locate you all day! We're the new recruits, so we thought we should find you to inform you and ask for what our first task shall be." Shinoa showed off her most pleasant grin, praying that they would be spared from Horn's wrath. She seriously didn't want to be kicked out on the first day due to Yuu being an imbecile.

"Hmph! I'll excuse you two just this once, but if I witness this behavior again, both of you will no longer be allowed to take one step into the castle ever again! As punishment, your first task shall be to clean the ballroom from top to bottom until I can see my reflection shining crystal clear on the tile floor!"

Yuu groaned, trying _so hard_ not to punch the snobby woman. He balled his fists, prepared to attack, but Shinoa smacked his arm before he could.

"Damn it, Shinoa! That actually hurt!" He complained as Horn walked ahead to lead them to the ballroom.

They had been to the ballroom only a few days ago, but Yuu had already forgotten how to get there. Of course, he would never admit that to anyone. They obediently trailed behind Horn, walking down numerous hallways and past countless rooms until they reached the grandest hallway yet. At the end of it was ballroom, causing Yuu to flinch just slightly, recalling the events of Prince Mikaela's birthday ball.

Two servants standing next to the entrance pushed opened the doors as we approached. Horn spread out her arms and beamed at Yuu and Shinoa innocently, a glint of satisfaction reflected in her eyes at their horror. It was as though the ballroom hand expanded since the last time they had visited.

"Now get to work!" She practically skipped away with glee.

"Hey, wait a second! What are we supposed to clean with?!" Yuu exclaimed.

Horn turned and tapped her chin thoughtfully, pretending to think long and hard. "You two may figure it out yourselves."

She sashayed out of the door, leaving them with disbelieving expressions.

Shinoa laughed nervously. "Haha, we better get started then, huh?"

"But how are we supposed to do that without any cleaning stuff? Like, how are we supposed to clean the floors without something like, I don't know, handkerchiefs?"

"Yuu… no. Just no."

"What? Did I say something wrong?" He asked, completely oblivious.

Shinoa rolled her eyes. "Handkerchiefs aren't used for cleaning floors. They're used to dry the tears of sobbing noblewomen and to sneeze the shit in your nose into. What we need is a washcloth and a bucket of water."

"That doesn't matter! What matters is getting fucking cleaning shit to clean this fucking floor for that insane woman!"

"Yuu, calm the fuck down. Right now, we need to ask someone where the cleaning supplies are kept. You stay here and I'll go ask."

"Why do _I_ have to stay here?! Why can't you?!"

"Because you're useless! If I do it, I might _actually_ find the fucking supplies!" Shinoa hissed, wearing a devilish smirk as she saw Yuu become more infuriated.

"Geez, fine! Just hurry the fuck up!"

"Yes, yes. I'm going." Shinoa sighed.

As she stepped out of the grand room, she chuckled mischievously to herself, glancing over her shoulder at the impatient boy, who was already pacing the room. She made brief eye contact with a blond haired boy in fine clothes walking down the hallway. They collided suddenly, and Shinoa noticed the dreamy, slightly worried look in his eye as he apologized. She begged pardon back, and continued heading towards her destination.

 _Oh, wasn't that Prince Mika? I bet Yuu will be delighted! "Romeo and Juliet (Part Two): The Reunion". I can't wait to tell the others~! Now, to the task at hand-getting those supplies._

* * *

 _I'm. So. Bored. I can literally die from boredom right now. Damn it, why is Shinoa taking so long?! It's already been two whole minutes! And we don't have all day to finish cleaning this god damn ballroom!_ The agitated rebel sat down, leaning against a wall, groaning miserably.

At the same time, Mika had been summoned to the throne room by his mother, most likely for her to complain to him once again about those "fucking troublesome pests" ("They think they can overthrow _me?!_ Well, those bitches better think again!"). He would've much rather had consumed himself with thoughts of Yuu-chan and what it would be like if they reunited. But...

 _What if he was putting up an act and pretending to be like me? What if he despises me for being the prince? What if he actually is fond of me, but thinks that I detest him for deceiving me?_ He was forced back into reality when he realized he had collided into a short, lilac-haired maid.

"Pardon me, I was not paying attention."

The maid bowed. "No, it was my fault, Your Highness."

"Well, it seems you were heading somewhere, so please, don't let me stop you."

"Of course, sir. I'll be on my way then."

Mika was about to continue walking when he heard a loud groan from a nearby room. He looked to his right curiously and discovered that it was coming from the ballroom. He tried to resist the temptation to identify the voice, but he was drawn to the door, exactly like how he was drawn to Yuu-chan. The guards were baffled as they opened the door for him.

"Pardon me, is anyone in there?" He called out, raising his voice slightly.

Yuu scrambled to his feet as he recognized the voice. _Shit, I can't be found out already! It's just the first day! Damn it, it's just the two of us! Well, at least fucking Shinoa isn't here to make fun of me..._

He cleared his throat, before responding in a female's voice. "It's just me at the moment, Your Highness."

Yuu held his breath as Mika walked in gracefully. "Is anything wrong?"

The raven-haired boy blushed, finally being able to see Mika's appearance in person after so long. Well, not _that_ long, but it had seemed like ages to him.

"N-no, Your Highness. Please, do not worry about my welfare."

"Now I am truly concerned. Your face is overwhelmingly red. Are you sure you don't have a fever?" Mika frowned, even more troubled.

"O-oh, really, sir? It must be the lighting then, Your Highness." Yuu bashfully stared at his feet.

When he looked up at Mika, the prince had a faraway look in his eyes, as though he was reminiscing something. Yuu didn't notice how weird his staring must have been until Mika looked at him. He swiftly glanced away, although Mika didn't seem quite bothered.

"Now that I think about it, you look almost exactly like someone I met awhile ago. However, you have a slightly different color hair. But your eyes… they're just the same." The blonde whispered, barely audible enough to reach the other's ears.

"Damn, that's such a coincidence, huh?" Yuu laughed nervously.

Mika stared at him blankly, confused at the "maid's" language.

"Uh... I meant, what a coincidence, sir."

Mika blinked once, then laughed that spectacular laugh that Yuu had ingrained in his mind. "No, please continue to talk in whatever manner you're most comfortable with. It's pleasant to have such a casual conversation once in awhile."

"Thank god! I don't have to be such a goody-two-shoes anymore! I have no idea how you do it so naturally because, man, it takes plenty of effort for me." Yuu nearly forgot to make his voice sound like a girl's, getting lost in the conversation.

"I see… Though, I apologize, I must be on my way now."

"I'll see you around then!" Yuu waved, unable to conceal his grin by simply watching Mika, even though it was his back. And it had ended on a good note this time.

A couple minutes later, Shinoa practically skipped into the room, rushing over to Yuu, who was still staring at the door.

"You look like a lovesick puppy."

"Shinoa!" Yuu whipped his head around so fast, he nearly got a whiplash just to look back at her. "You sure took your damn time!"

"Did you have fun meeting your precious prince again?"

"W-what are you talking about!"

"Don't try to hide it from me, Yuu."

"Damn it, how did you know?!"

"He was walking past here when I went out. So, how did it go? Did you guys have a goodbye kiss?" She simpered.

"Of course not! What the fuck?!"

"Ah, Yuu, you don't have to be embarrassed to tell me."

"For your information, nothing like that happened, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Then please enlighten me as to why you're avoiding eye contact." Shinoa smirked. She proceeded to gasp, putting her hand up to her mouth in astonishment. "Oh, and is it just me or are you blushing? Is Yuichiro Amane of the Imperial Demon Army _blushing?!_ "

"S-shut up! I'm not blushing, you bastard!"

Their argument continued for hours until Horn checked up on them to see their progress, only to discover them bickering, with the cleaning supplied lying by their feet, forgotten.

"You worthless servants! Get to work or never step inside the palace again!"

"Yeah, Yuu. Get to work." Shinoa chided.

"Me?! What about you!"

He turned to look at Shinoa, but she had already set to work, quickly grabbing a washcloth and dunking it into the bucket.

"Damn you, Shinoa!"

"Watch your language, peasant!"

"UGHHHHH!"

Then Yuu, overwhelmed frustration, hung himself, thus ending his miserable life.

Just kidding. He just began cleaning. Driven by his hatred towards the head maid and the smug look on her face as she looked down on them the entire time, they were able to completed their task within two hours. He regretted it afterwards, since he was sore all over, hardly managing to reach their meeting place at the far end of the garden. He glared at them and how at ease they seemed, plotting his revenge.

"So, how was your first day?" Yoichi asked innocently.

"Wow, I wonder. Look at how unsore I am right now. Look at my oh so genuine smile as I look back on my day. Man, that was the best day of my life!" He replied scornfully.

"You didn't have to be so sarcastic about it." Shinoa scolded. "It's not like Yoichi ruined your day."

"Yeah, because you were the one who did."

"You could have ignored me and started cleaning." Shinoa pointed out.

"Maybe you could've have stopped being so obnoxious, I would've!"

"Guys, shut up and give Guren your report." Kimizuki snapped, already at his limit. Yes, he had been assigned to the kitchen, where he was sure he would excel. _But no._ What he had not thought about was _how much the fucking royals could fucking eat._ Thus, he spent the entire fucking day simply cooking _the same fucking dishes fucking over and over,_ three times a day, all day. "I never want to see another chicken again in my life…" he muttered under his breath.

"Did you just talk shit about chicken?" Yuu hissed venomously at him.

"Screw your chickens. I couldn't care less."

"Yuu was reunited with his prince~!" Shinoa quickly interrupted-and ended-their little spat with her piece of information. Everyone's faces seemed to light up in joy-besides Yuu's, whose face became a deep tint of red almost straightaway.

"Oh, really?" Mitsuba asked, interested.

"Yes! They even kissed!"

"No, we didn't! Stop making shit up!" Yuu exclaimed in exasperation.

"Yuu, I thought you trusted us!" Shinoa responded.

"How am I supposed to trust people like you?!"

"You. Yuu." Mitsuba commented.

"Ah, I see what you did there." Kimizuki nodded in approval, face set in a serious expression.

"Good job, Mitsuba. You have studied the art of puns vigorously, and at last, you have risen to rank B. You will be a rank A in no time, my star pupil." Shinoa said solemnly.

Mitsuba bowed respectfully while Yoichi clapped politely, having no idea what they were talking about.

Guren interrupted, yelling, "Stop fooling around and give your goddamn reports!"

"You're no fun, Guren." Shinoa sighed disappointedly.

"Thank you, Guren! I wouldn't have survived any longer with these insane people!" Yuu cried out in relief.

"Trust me, I can't deal with them either. Except you're the biggest idiot out of all of them."

"Okay, I hate you again."

"Well, we both knew it wouldn't last long anyway." Guren shrugged. "So, have any of you discovered any vital information yet?"

The group glanced at each other, waiting for someone to comment.

"Nobody?"

He was answered with silence.

"Well, I heard a few servants gossipping." Kimizuki remarked. "They mentioned something about how they heard Queen Krul holding a meeting to discuss the events of the ball. Apparently, the queen sounded extremely irritated and that she will not allow the Imperial Demon Army to dethrone her."

"Well, she deserves to be! She ordered for my orphanage to be burned! My entire family…. None of them made it out." Yuu cried, on the verge of shedding tears.. "Akane, Taichi, Fumie, Chihiro, Kouta, Ako and everyone else is dead for absolutely no reason."

The others looked at him sympathetically, aware of how much he wanted to avenge the orphans he had deemed as his family.

"Yuu, you're not alone. Kimizuki's sister wasn't given proper treatment for the disease that's been spreading around and everyone doubts that she'll make it. And Yoichi's sister was killed too. M-my squad was wiped out when they were sent on a mission to assassinate one of the nobles." Mitsuba comforted, although her voice cracked as she thought of her failed mission.

"I know. That's why we are gonna murder that bitch and fix this fucked-up place!" The emerald-eyed boy declared with a confident grin.

"Yeah, we got it. Please proceed with the reports." Guren ordered, ignoring the boy's enthusiasm. .

"I heard Krul in the throne room complaining about us. It appears that we've annoyed her immensely." Shinoa giggled.

"I didn't hear anything important." Yoichi added.

"I was stuck in the fucking ballroom most of the time." Yuu grumbled.

"I bet you were practicing waltzing for Prince Mikaela." Kimizuki mocked.

"No, I was cleaning the damn room!"

"Of course, you want it to look simply _dazzling_ for the next time you two dance."

"That's not happening."

"Oh, we'll see."

"I can't wait until you're proven wrong, you four-eyed asshole."

"Being four-eyed is better than being a dumbass."

"If I'm a dumbass, then you are too!"

"I don't feel like dealing with you while you're on your period."

"I'm not a fucking girl!"

"You're just pmsing. After all, you are a housewife."

Kimizuki gritted his teeth, prepared to punch Yuu, but Shinoa interfered.

"Kimizuki, it's not nice to hurt girls." Yuu blinked, extremely offended, but he didn't know what to say back.

"How the fuck do you two hoes even know about periods?" Mitsuba inquired, baffled.

They remained silent, scowling down at their feet, refusing to meet the girls' eyes.

"Well, now that you two have _finally_ quieted down," Guren eyed the two guilty boys. "I'd like to inform you that the queen is most likely plotting to find our headquarters and massacre everyone in it. At the training grounds, the soldiers were complaining about how they had been ordered to train harder and prepare for war."

"War?" Yoichi gasped.

"Well, it was bound to happen eventually." Mitsuba said gravely.

"Ha! We're gonna kick their asses and send them back here in tears!" Yuu scoffed.

"It's not as easy as you make it out to be. It would barely take the queen's army any effort to defeat us."

"Try to be a bit optimistic, guys! Guren will find out all their military tactics and report it back to the Imperial Demon Army. We can beat them!"

"I better not be the only one finding information, you brats." Guren growled.

"Of course!' Yuu smirked. "We'll gather a shitload more intel than you!"

"Go ahead and try, moron."

"Let's not make a competition out of this!" Yoichi squeaked.

"Well," MItsuba whispered into Yoichi's ear, "this might make those two collect for information, which _will_ be useful. Just let them."

Yoichi considered this. "Nevermind, I take what I said earlier back."

"As long as you kids can find out a lot during these two weeks, I don't care what you guys use for motivation. Just don't attract to much attention to yourself." Guren instructed.

Shinoa chuckled wickedly. "Yuu already failed at that part."

"You idiot! What did you do this time?!"

"What? I didn't do anything. Shinoa, what are you talking about?" Yuu asked, totally oblivious.

"You guys should've seen the look of desire the male servants had when looking at him! If only they knew he was a guy too."

"Yuu really _does_ genuinely look like a girl." Yoichi noted.

"Even you think so, Yoichi?!"

"Damn it, why can't _I_ look that appealing?" Mitsuba mumbled.

"Don't worry Mitsu~! I still am simply _infatuated_ with you!" Shinoa playfully lunged at Mitsuba, who had spots of red roses on her cheeks, trying to escape the lilac-haired girl's grasp.

"And you guys say I'm gay." Yuu muttered.

"Because you are." Kimizuki stated with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I bet you're gay for Yoichi then."

"H-Huh?" Yoichi stammered.

"Shut up!" Kimizuki hissed, suddenly turning a bit fidgety.

"I mean, remember the time Yoichi complimented your cooking and you couldn't look him in the face for the rest of the day? Oh, and that time you two had to share a bed since there wasn't enough space for all of us and you scooted so far away from him that you fell off the bed?"

By the time Yuu and Kimizuki had ended their bickering, the others had all retreated inside the castle to find a place to sleep. The duo grumpily headed to the servants' quarters and each set up a pallet to sleep on. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to sleep next to each other, since there was no other place. Yuu tossed and turned, desperately trying to get in a comfortable position as Kimizuki kept whispering-screaming for him to be quiet. Chilling drafts came in from the windows, causing everyone to wrap their thin blankets tightly around themselves. The quiet chattering of teeth came from several places in the room,at different intervals.

Yuu stared absently at the dull ceiling, his stomach growling as he was dismally reminded of how he hadn't had the opportunity to eat supper that day and how he wanted to go home instead of staying at the castle for an entire thirteen more days.

 _At least I might see Mika again…_ Yuu pinched himself aggressively, cursing himself for that thought. _Stop. Stop thinking about Mika. If this goes on, you're gonna fuck up another mission. And if I fail this mission for the same god damn reason as I did the other one, I will fucking kill myself._ No longer interested in the ceiling, he turned to discover that Kimizuki had already fallen asleep. Yuu shut his eyes forcefully, putting his arm over his eyes to prevent any light from entering.

 _Geez, just fall asleep already!_ He sighed, then concentrated on breathing evenly. As he felt his consciousness slip away, he shifted his arm, resting them on his chest, squeezing his eyes tightly to adjust to the faint light that was visible, even with his eyes closed. He gradually drifted into slumber until he began to dream of yet another dance with the prince.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Yuu-chan, you continue to make me utterly awestruck with your stunning appearance, whether you're in a women's clothing or not." The captivating prince's sapphire eyes gazed serenely at him._

 _Yuu quickly denied the statement out of embarrassment. "A-are you blind? Clearly, you're the better-looking one here."_

 _Mika chuckled softly."How kind of you to say so. Although our opinions still differ, I doubt I will be able to change your mind, nor will you be able to mine." The blonde knelt in front of him and extended his arm, looking up at the other as though he was his world. "May I have this dance, Yuu-chan?"_

 _"O-of course!" Yuu gratefully took his hand, pulling him up and drawing him closer._

 _Unfortunately, the boy's dream shifted to haunt him with a dreadful memory that he couldn't help but recall ever since its occurrence._

* * *

 _Akane had been playing with the other children as Yuu read a novel by the window. Sunlight illuminated the pages, and the white paper gave off a soft, almost ethereal glow. There was a sharp knock on the orphanage door._

 _"Hello? Is there anyone home?" An unidentified individual hollered in a sing-song voice. Somehow, Yuu could sense something sinister and malicious hidden beneath its seemingly harmless exterior._

 _The orphanage manager, face twisted into a baffled expression, slowly trotted out of the kitchen and answered the door, revealing a man of seemingly high status with long, silver hair in a ponytail and piercing, scarlet eyes that radiated with mischief and a hint of condescendence, followed by several soldiers._

 _"Good afternoon, madam. I am General Ferid Bathory. It is a pleasure meeting you." The man beamed at the elderly woman._

 _"The pleasure is all mine," She replied, unable to process the fact that Queen Krul's young, but able general was visiting her orphanage. "But may I ask what business you have with me?"_

 _"I'm not sure if you've heard, but Queen Krul Tepes is planning to adopt a child, so she has appointed me to search for candidates. So, if you don't mind, may I come in and meet the orphans you have here?"_

 _"O-of course!" The orphanage manager stuttered, hoping she could be of service to the queen._

 _"Thank you for your cooperation!" He beamed at them once again._

 _She stepped out of the way, permitting the general and his men to enter. The children, after realizing what was occurring, obediently arranged into single file line. Yuu was the only one impatiently glaring at the guests. The soldiers walked past them slowly, analyzing them thoroughly to confirm whether they were worthy of their monarch. Ultimately, they found no suitable match for her. General Ferid's eyes furrowed, clearly disappointed._

 _"It appears that none of the children here are fitting for Queen Krul. I guess we are left with no other choice than to dispose of all of you." He proclaimed, sighing sadly with a sadistic smile spread across his face._

 _All of the children were paralyzed, eyes filled with horror, even Yuu and the orphanage director. General Ferid merely wore an amused expression, eager to eliminate the innocent people before him._

 _"H-how dare you! I won't let you do that to my family!" Yuu retorted, extracting the remains of what courage was left within himself._

 _All he received was a guffaw from the wicked man, resulting in the young boy backing away in fear. The general pointed forwards at the trembling peasants, no longer trying to hide how immensely entertained he was. "Kill them all, no one here shan't perish. I expect no mercy. After all, they're simply wasting our resources anyway if they continue to live without being of use to our queen."_

* * *

Yuu was awoken abruptly by someone aggressively shaking him.

"Couldn't you just have told me to wake up?" He groaned as he opened his eyes, only to see Kimizuki. He gradually sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning to you too." The telephone pole hissed under his breath. "I tried that five times. And each time, you just rolled over to the opposite end and pulled your blanket over your head."

"You could have tried harder than." Yuu countered as he tried to fix his bedhead.

"I don't want to use too much energy on an idiot like you."

"Good, because I wouldn't use my energy on you either."

"I don't need you to use your energy on me."

"Well, I don't want you to use your energy on me."

"..."

"..."

"Yuu, work on your comebacks. They're lame."

"Shut up. Yours aren't that good either."

"Sure, keep on believing that. But right now, we need to get to work. I'm going ahead, so see you later."

"Are you fucking ditching me?!"

"You took so long to get up, and I cannot waste time waiting for you. Anyways, bye." And with that, Kimizuki turned away and strolled out the servants' quarters and towards the kitchen.

Yuu was about to dash over to him and give Kimizuki what he deserved when a maid tugged his shirt with pleading eyes that screamed, " _Stop._ The noise is unbearable and people are trying to be _productive_ here."

He grunted in response, then proceeded towards the privy to change into the dreaded maid outfit.

* * *

Shinoa greeted him cheerfully as he exited the servants' quarters, staring self-consciously at the ground, unwilling to meet eyes with the Satan spawn before him.

"Well, someone sure took a while to get out of bed."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just start doing cleaning shit or whatever and get it over with."

"Are you excited to possibly see Mikaela again?"

"It's not like I actually will. Don't expect to be able to report any of my encounters with Mika today."

"Yuu…..Is that what I think it is?" Shinoa gasped, raising her hand to her mouth to emphasize her shock.

"What's what you think it is?" Yuu gave her a baffled expression.

" _Is that a nickname?!_ You're using a nickname on Prince Mikaela Tepes?!"

 _Oh shit. Why the fuck did I do that?!_ Yuu breathed a sigh that consisted of his immense regret.

"He told me to call him that."

"I never knew you two had gone so far in such a short amount of time!" Shinoa smirked demonically. "In no time, my precious cherry boy will lose his virginity!" She dramatically wiped an invisible tear away.

"Shinoa. That's not happening." Yuu countered. "He probably detests me anyways. After all, I betrayed him…." His voice gradually became less detectable as his face darkened.

Shinoa eyes softened since she seldom saw her friend so melancholic. "Yuu, I truly doubt that he hates you."

"Why would you even consider that? He said that he trusted me more than he did anyone else, then right after he told me that, I betrayed him-I revealed that I was his enemy. He probably thinks that I'll leak all his deepest secrets when he had faith that I wouldn't tell anyone!" He cried out in frustration, no longer wanting to conceal his inner thoughts.

"But you _didn't_ tell anybody. You _didn't_ betray his trust." Shinoa protested.

"And how is he supposed to know that?!"

"You can always tell him your feelings for him. And that you'd never betray him. "

"I'm not going to blow my cover _again_. I need to prioritize our mission, not be concerned with my fucked-up, practically nonexistent love life." Yuu's stated, aspiring to conclude the conversation.

"If you tell him, I think he'll understand. I don't think he would tell anybody about our mission. I think he just trusts you that much."

"Even after all that?" Yuu questioned uncertainly. He couldn't-wouldn't-believe it. Why in the world would a prince endanger his own country and not tell everyone about the mission?

Shinoa nodded, hoping that she had brightened her friend's mood. She skipped ahead before turning around. "Shall we get going then?"

* * *

Later on in another one of the identical hallways, the two "maids" collided heavily with the obnoxious head maid, who glared at them with revulsion, most likely plotting their executions. Horn was reluctantly forced to continue scheming at a later time since she needed to assign them their next fatal task.

"Good morning." The blonde addressed, sounding entirely superficial. "I have resolved that today, you two shall retreat to the Basement to sweep away the cobwebs, exterminate the pests within it, and get rid of all that dust!" She stifled a diabolical grin as she presented them each a broom. "I will summon someone to escort you to the entrance of the basement. Wait here, for she shall arrive shortly."

Horn gracefully continued down the hallway, nearly radiating sunshine and rainbows, reminiscing on what she had just accomplished, which was the duo's whitened faces, and how close they were to fainting. Shinoa had collapsed to her knees; Yuu was curled up in a ball, trying not to face the reality that the head maid was a bitch who was probably Satan herself and was even more so to them. The maid chosen to lead them to Hell found them in the same position. She even swore that she could hear them sobbing.

"So...I head Mistress Horn ordered you two to clean...the Basement." She darted her eyes anxiously, guiltily hoping that this would be the next big gossip topic.

"..."

"You guys _have_ heard about the Basement, right?"

"I don't think we want to know," Yuu mumbled.

The maid ignored him and continued."Well, nobody has cleaned it in years. Some say that the people sent to clean it don't ever come back unscathed. They can no longer function properly and become insane. Some even have suicidal tendencies. In fact, all the maids believe there to be some sort of beast or other horrific, sinister creature dwelling in the Basement," she informed them in an eerie tone.

"As if! We can deal with a simple basement, right Shinoa? Shinoa?" Yuu no longer wanted to appear weak as he elbowed his companion.

She maintained her confident facade, but couldn't help but visualize the petrifying Basement. Yuu was comforted at first by her typical grin, but when he noticed her staggering slightly, he began to grow more horrified. _Oh shit! If even_ Shinoa _is terrified, we really might not make it! But if we don't do it now, that bitch will make us do even worse shit!_

"Person whom I don't know the name of! Take us to the Basement!" Yuu squeezed his eyes shut as he attempted to seem courageous.

The maid saluted since it seemed like an appropriate time to do so. "Of course!"

* * *

Yuu chewed on the strands of his wig hair, which was a habit that he was sure that had died away a few days ago when Kimizuki had ridiculed him for it, but the habit had resurfaced due to the wicked Horn Skuld. He quivered with every tense step he took, gripping his feather duster, a bucket of water, and a washcloth. His teeth were practically chattering due to the icy waves sent from Horn's practically absent heart. He glanced at Shinoa, who was miraculously maintaining a confident demeanor as she carried their brooms and dustpans.

"Yuu, are you going to surrender to a fucking room and let it scare the shit out of you? Are you that much of a wimp?" Shinoa teased, hoping to distract him from the panic he was experiencing.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not a coward!"

"Sure, of course you aren't. Of course you didn't piss your pants when us and the rest of the squad we're exchanging scary stories at night last year. Of course you didn't scream loud enough for people to start approaching us and complaining about how you wouldn't quiet the fuck down when you heard a bunny piss behind a bush and thought it was ferocious beast hissing. Of course you didn't-"

"Okay, you can fucking _stop_ now! No need to continue saying nonsense!"

"But it's all true," Shinoa said innocently, as though she was simply the sweetest little angel in the entire universe, which Yuu knew the was not near the truth at all.

"We're almost at the Basement." The maid announced almost ecstatically. "I suggest that the two of you prepare yourselves mentally."

The duo remained silent for the remainder of the walk there. At last, the maid stopped in front of a set of stairs leading downwards and solemnly handed them each a lantern and a box of matches. Then, she gave Shinoa a minuscule, rusted, bronze key.

"Just head down these stairs. Use the key to unlock the door, but it has not been opened in a while, so I recommend that you kick the door inward as you push it open. I wish you both good luck." With that, they all went on their way-the maid back to continue her former duties and Shinoa and Yuu to Hell.

After hesitating for several moments, they trotted down the steps. Yuu held back a feminine yelp as Shinoa opened the door, which emitted a loud screech as she did.

"Ladies first~!" Shinoa joshed as she shoved him into the Basement.

"What the fuck?!" He protested as he regained his balance.

Shinoa sashayed casually into the ominous room, then proceeded to set down her lantern on the dusty floor. The Basement was filled with cobwebs, which wasn't particularly surprising, and bookshelves with ancient-looking novels arranged on them. The musty and suffocating air caused Yuu to pinch his nose, face displaying his aggravation.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "What are you waiting for, princess? Would you prefer to stay here all day?"

Yuu harrumphed, about to protest, then decided it would be best to get the cleaning over with so they could get the fuck out of the Basement. He began gathering together all the books and dusting them off one by one, occasionally reading the ones that had piqued his interest, as Shinoa used the feather duster to clean the shelves. He happened to stumble upon a journal containing a sketch of the palace, including some hidden passageways Yuu was sure wasn't there before. After skimming through several pages, he discovered it was a diary belonging to one of the maids.

 _March 12, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _Today is my first day working as a maid in the palace! I am so glad that man I met the other day offered me a job. He told me that he has a high rank at the palace and could pull some strings to have me begin working there. Hopefully, I will earn enough money to support my family. I will not tell them_ yet _though, or else they'll get worried that I am overworking myself. So far, it's not so bad. I think I'm the youngest person here since I am just seven years old. The palace is so huge and elegant, it's hard to believe I'm serving only one person, although it is Queen Krul Tepes herself, the ruler of all of Sanguinem! I hope I will have the chance to see her in person someday. I feel as though just standing in the palace makes me royalty as well. Would that not be grand, to be a princess and no longer have to worry about affording simple necessities, like food, blankets, and clothes. I would no longer have to worry about getting medicine for when me or one of my family members when we get ill. A million of our problems would just...vanish! I have to wake up early tomorrow for work, so I'll be going now. Bye!_

 _March 23, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _I encountered the man who offered me the job today. He asked me how the castle has been so far and I told him it was fine, excluding_ how _mean some of the servants here are. Although, I think they are acting like that only because they're a bit jealous of how it was the man that offered me the job. I think a lot of maids working at the palace believe him to be very handsome, which isn't entirely wrong. He chuckled in an amused way as I told him more about my day. After I was done, he asked me if I would like to meet a friend of his. I was a bit busy, so I declined, but he agreed to introduce us another day. His friend… I wonder, is he of high rank just like the man? What does he look like? How old is he? What's his personality like? Oh well, I guess these questions will have to be answered another day. Then, I asked him if he could tell me his name. He looked up thoughtfully, then said that it would be more interesting for me to find out myself. After an awkward silence, he told me goodbye and walked away. I wonder why he seems to have taken so much interest in me. After all, he doesn't seem to talk to anyone else, besides the queen. Right now, I have to go help some maids sweep up entrails in the dining hall. Bye, diary!_

 _April 10, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _Just as the man promised, he introduced me to his friend. He brought him into the dining room while I was setting the table. His friend's braided hair was strangely dyed-his front bangs were dyed a dull shade of red while the rest of it was dark brown. He looked very muscular, so I think he's part of the army. He seemed a bit bored and unwilling to talk to me, but the man wasn't letting him get away. He mumbled a greeting to me, then sat down in one of the chairs. He asked the man why he was here, and the man answered that he had told already him. His friend sighed tiredly and told him that he still didn't understand. I tuned out of their further conversation for a bit as I laid out the plates and tableware, but caught small snippets of it. The man's friend asked if I was part of his "plans" (?), but the man seemed ignorant to what he was suggesting. Plans? What plans? Am I really part of them? How will these plans affect anything? Are they to benefit? Or will they do harm…? Hm… I'm having such dark thoughts nowadays._ Of course _the plans will benefit the kingdom if they were really created by the man or his friend. They both seem like such wonderful people, right, Diary? Besides, the man is so loyal to the queen, and the punishment for treason is a death sentence. Alright, it's nearly light's out for me. So, 'till next time!_

Yuu skimmed through the next few entries since they were just documenting her daily life in the castle. He grinned triumphantly when the owner of the journal complained about that wretched Horn Skuld. He was beginning to think about putting the diary away until one caught his eye.

 _July 13, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _Today, I heard something extremely disturbing! A maid requested that I deliver a letter to the man, and it seemed to be quite urgent, so I agreed. When I reached the entrance to his office, I paused before knocking, since I heard him talking to someone from the inside. I decided to give them a bit of privacy. I thought they were just discussing military plans, but then I overheard them say something about the man's "plans" and immediately became interested in their conversation. The man's companion sounded shocked as he exclaimed that they would be arrested for treason. However, the man seemed to shrug it off, saying that he would dispose of anyone that discovered their "plans", so not to worry. I held back a gasp, knowing that they would, just as he had said, kill me if he found out that I was there. To not risk my life, I decided to walk away. Just then, the door swung open, revealing a young soldier that I did not recognize. He muttered an "excuse me" and rushed past me. After a minute or two, I decided that it was safe to enter, so I knocked on the door. He called for me to come in. The man was sitting at his fancy-looking desk, reading papers. I placed the letter on the desk and exited the room after he thanked me. I doubt that I will ever be able to look the man in the eye again._

 _September 21, XXXX_

 _Diary_

 _I have not really had time to record about my day in here recently, so I apologize for that. Since I "have more experience now", now that I have been here for three years, I have become responsible for even more duties and have to go to bed even later. Lately, I have accidentally listened in on even more conversations. After piecing everything together, I can guess that the man is betraying the queen and disobeying her orders. He's performing evil actions in the name of the queen. I think his friend whom he had introduced to me a few years ago is assisting him. I can not even believe that I used to trust him so much and was even grateful to him for helping me obtain a job to feed my family. I know I must prevent this somehow, but I do not have the ability to do so myself. But who would I tell? Could I really request an audience with the queen? After all, who knows how many people in the palace the man has recruited? And what would he do to me if he found out I knew? Certainly, I would die. How much am I willing to sacrifice to my queen?_

 _January 16, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _I think I will inform the queen about the man. After I discovered that he is attempting to overthrow the queen, then I knew desperate measures must be taken. The problem is that he has not revealed his name to me. When I find out what it is, then I will tell her for sure._

 _February 29, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _I still have yet to identify him. I have not encountered him as of late. I have been avoiding him and he seems to be busy with his plans. I don't think telling the queen can wait any longer._

 _April 17, XXXX_

 _Diary,_

 _I think he has found me out. I have heard the maids whispering about how the man was searching for a certain, young maid. That is most certainly me. But I have found out his name, and I can tell the queen at any available time. In fact, I have requested to see her tomorrow. Tomorrow, I shall tell her that his name is_

Dry, blackened blood was splattered across the page, causing the rest of the name to be undecipherable. Yuu's palms were sweating uncontrollably as he nervously set down the journal. Apparently, this man was extremely brutal and had disposed of the maid, just as he had promised. He shut the journal slowly but pocketed it out so he could take it back up with him later. He made a mental note to be wary of this man as he and the rest of the Imperial Demon Army proceeded with their revolt.

Meanwhile, Shinoa was finishing up with her cleaning. By now, the Basement looked spotless and had no possible sign of any hostile beasts. Their fear had faded away, causing them to wonder what possibly could've frightened the other maids. Yuu retrieved the journal before they made their way back upstairs. They were showered with questions from "fellow" maids. Shinoa decided to go along with the rumors, telling them that she was eternally traumatized and that she would rather die than return to the Basement. Yuu simply nodded, still brooding over the diary entries. He was remaining silent about it, planning to show them to Shinoa along with the others during their nightly meeting.

They were eventually confronted by Horn Skuld after they had stowed away the cleaning supplies. Since it was already the late afternoon, she demanded them to assist in the dinner preparations. Yuu groaned, aware that he would not be able to avoid contact with the prince. He glared at his smirking companion. She shaped her fingers into a heart and winked at him while smiling deviously.

"You have yet another chance to confess your undying love for the dashing Prince Mikaela! Hurry on, young child! You must not waste this precious opportunity laid before you!"

"Yeah, I can imagine that so vividly!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

"So can I! I'm imagining that after dinner, the prince will be sulking as he walks out of the dining room, thinking of the not-a-fair-maiden-but-actually-a-guy he met at the ball. Then, a bewitching "maid" catches his eye. The moment their eyes meet, they know that they have met before. He walks up to "her" and starts a conversation with "her". After a bit of small talk, "she" confesses that "she" is the guy that he had danced with at the ball. Eyes filled with shock, the prince embraces him, and they sneak away to his bedroom and-"

"Shinoa! Just shut the fuck up already!" Yuu flushed.

"Ah, what an adorable little cherry boy. I wonder what you could have _possibly_ been envisioning." She cooed, eyeing him as though he was a tiny, cuddly puppy.

"Well, you were obviously implying something inappropriate!"

"So you admit that you were imagining Mika sucking your practically nonexistent dick."

"You know what? Screw you."

Shinoa giggled, quite pleased with herself, as well as Yuu's reaction.

As they were nearing the kitchen, Yuu growled, "Kimizuki is working in the kitchen, right?"

Shinoa nodded. "Don't start bickering, especially in front of all those servants. We don't want to attract any more attention than we already have."

Yuu nonchalantly told her to "shut the fuck up" as he entered the kitchen, which was bustling with activity. Servants were scattered about, performing different tasks, such as washing dishes, cooking the meals, and plating the food. Others had been sent to the dining room to set the table. Kimizuki was one of the cooks. There was to be a grand feast, for there were several guests that were attending supper with the queen and her son that night. That evening's menu was comprised of an enormous, stuffed boar head of epic proportions as the main course as well as an equally impressive roast chicken. The appetizers included an exotic salad with a combination of tossed fresh spinach leaves, parsley, a handful of wild strawberries, and oil and vinegar, pumpes, and assorted fruits. The feast was to be concluded with poached pears and almond pudding for dessert.

They located Kimizuki rinsing fresh fruit near the back. As they made their way over to him, they were stopped by the chef.

"What are you two doing?" The chef had his hands on his hips and wore an intimidating expression.

"We just got here, sir. We were sent by the head maid to assist with the dinner preparations." Shinoa explained.  
"Then, please head over to the dining room to help set up the table. After you do so, then return here and wait until it is time to serve supper."

The chef promptly strode away to continue monitoring the other servants. Yuu groaned, although it could barely be heard over all the commotion.

"Seriously? We had to walk all the way here, just to leave right when we got there. Inconsiderate much?!"

"Wow, you should really get the grand prize for complaining so fucking much." Shinoa mused. "It has crossed my mind before, but after these past few days, you have become an even better candidate. Do not fret, you can guarantee that I'll vote for you. Oh, but you're an even better nominee for the biggest cherry boy in the universe. Oh dear, which one should I vote you for? Well, the more the merrier, so I suppose both."

"Shinoa, remind me as to why we are even friends."

"Because you wouldn't be able to survive without such an astounding, awe-inspiring, sensational person in your life, of course. Go ahead-worship me all you like." She looked at him haughtily.

"You better not actually be expecting me to fucking get down on my knees and praise undeserving midget like you."

And that's when Yuichiro Amane knew ... _he fucked up_.

Shinoa's eyes glimmered a shade of demonic red, slowly creeping closer to the damned Yuichiro Amane. She hissed menacingly, prepared to torment her target until he was so traumatized, that he would be paralyzed for days. Horn Skuld was currently a mere insect compared to the lilac-haired girl, despite their height differences. Yuu repeatedly asked for forgiveness, but it was too late. He was a goner. He could already envision his gravestone, in which Shinoa would personally carve into his gravestone using a machete:

 _R.I.P Yuichiro Amane. The wife of Mikaela Tepes and a treasured member of the Imperial Demon Army. Slain by a fucking savage midget and couldn't do anything to stop her. #bitchmeetshisfate He shall be dearly missed. Slightly. I mean, it would have been nice if he could have found his inner chill while he was alive. And if knew the boundaries of his pitiful insults. But he didn't. So that's why this little bitch died._

We all are aware that he did not _actually_ die, although he came quite close. After he was ruthlessly tortured, they eventually made their way to the dining room. However, the table was already set and the room looked spotless for the royal family and their guests. They had to return back to the kitchen once again, for the diners were beginning to settle into their seats, merely awaiting the food's arrival.

* * *

Mikaela took his usual, superior-seeming strides to the dining room. Maids not-so-subtly swooned over him, eying how well his outfit suited him, for they were fashioned exclusively for him. He ignored them as usual, wanting to get supper over with. He mentally groaned as he recalled of that night's guests. There was a despicable one in particular that he absolutely _despised._ He always exerted a large quantity of effort to avoid him, but this was one those times in which he couldn't, no matter how many excuses he used or how much he pleaded. As he reached out to push open the door, the guards surpassed his speed, dutifully opening it for him. They bowed respectfully as he grudgingly passed through, although he concealed how irritated he was. He took a seat near the queen, who seemed to have arrived quite early. The guests appeared one by one after Mikaela's entrance and were guided to their seats by the servants around the perimeter of the room. After several minutes, servants began entering with the first course.

"Where is my general?" Queen Krul questioned to the servants, voice radiating with authority.

"He has requested that we inform you that he is performing duties in another village, and will not be able to arrive on time. However, he will still come to the feast."

Queen Krul frowned and waved away the servant that had responded, who bowed and continued with his duties.

As Mikaela was about to take a bite of his salad, a certain, familiar maid entered the room, pouting (quite adorably, if he did say so himself) at the small girl beside him. When he realized that it would be immensely troublesome if she caught him gaping at her, he ducked his head down, swallowing his food slightly too hastily. He nearly choked on it but gulped down a bit of his water before he could. He peeked up a bit, surprisingly finding the maid sneaking a glance at him this time. Although, he should have expected for her to do so. After all, he was accustomed to people staring at him. She was blushing furiously, scowling at her smirking friend. Mikaela mentally scolded himself for observing her for a second time and returned to his meal, determined to not distract himself once again. By the time the next two courses arrived, Mika was constantly twitching with anxiety as he attempted to concentrate on the feast and the conversation his mother and the guests were sharing. They were discussing dull topics, such as politics and the economy. He had observed that no official ever mentioned of the peasants' welfare, which concerned him and caused him to be alert with suspicion.

 _Yes, I'll just centralize my thoughts on the peasants. You must, and will, stop thinking about that maid. And Yuu-chan. Don't think about him. He is the enemy. He is erased from your memory, your mind… If only he was._ He instinctively frowned intensely at his napkin, which resulted in stares from the other present individuals. He hid his face lower, staring down at his lap to prevent more baffled looks. He chose to request a glass of water as he noted that his glass was empty. Mika waved over the nearest servant, who rushed over quite ungracefully to his side.

"Y-yes, Your Highness? H-how may I be of your aid?" The servant mumbled, reciting the words his friend had gone over with him.

It took several seconds for the prince to realize exactly which servant he had called and regretted doing so instantly. It was the maid that he had been attempting to avoid.

He cleared his throat and summoned his courage. "It would be quite delightful if you could remain right here for the rest of the meal."

"U-um, I apologize, but that is not possible. I have...other responsibilities."

"I believe that your priority should be serving your kingdom's future king." Mika raised his eyebrows, causing the maid to look away shamefully.

"Well, if you would really prefer that…."

After an awkward silence, Mika asked, "You are the maid from the ballroom yesterday, am I correct?"

Too bashful to speak, the maid nodded.

"I noticed you staring at me earlier," Mika commented coolly.

"As if you weren't." The maid muttered, looking off to the side.

"Ah, so I was caught." The prince chuckled.

"You didn't seem like you were trying to hide it."

"I apologize then." He sounded quite genuine, which burned out any comebacks the maid had prepared.

The maid's eyes darted nervously at the spectators who were directing their attention to them specifically. Mika took notice and decided to abruptly conclude their conversation.

"Truthfully, all I called you over for was to simply request a glass of water. Would you kindly retrieve that for me?"

"Of course." The maid reached out for his glass, but Mika grasped it before she could and handed it to her. "Your Highness, that was… unnecessary. But thank you." The maid bowed, then walked away, nearly tripping over nothing but air on his way.

* * *

Shinoa giggled mischievously as Yuu struggled to walk properly to a cart that carried a pitcher of water. He shakily set down the glass and filled it close to the brim, spilling some water in the process.

"So, please report and elaborate as well- try not to miss even one, tiny detail, okay?"

"Are you planning to write a biography on my life or something?! He just asked me to fill his glass of water and so here I am, doing exactly that."

She groaned, unsatisfied. "I bet that you are leaving something out. I mean, you guys talked for quite a long time." She signed. "Well, you can tell me later. After all, you have to give _Mika_ his glass of water."

He ignored her temporarily, deciding it was best to prioritize his responsibilities. He scrambled over there, trying his best not to spill any water. He swiftly placed it down in front of the heir to Sanguinem, bowed clumsily, and dashed back to his original position. As he glanced back at Mikaela, he found a minuscule grin on his face as he raised his glass to his lips.

Before she could make a comment, the doors suddenly opened, revealing a tall, slim nobleman. He brushed his bangs away from his face as he confidently sauntered towards his seat, long silver hair swaying with each step he took.

"I apologize for my tardiness, my queen." He bowed before sitting down on the scarlet, velvet cushion of his wooden chair.

The queen raised her eyebrows. "You were attending to your duties, so I excuse your delay, General Ferid Bathory."


	5. Chapter 5

Yuu became stiff, eyes widening in shock and bafflement. _Oh, hell no. It cannot, is not, the same damn guy that came to my orphanage. I mean, there could be other Ferid Bathorys out there! That name is… hella uncommon. Yeah, it is definitely the same bastard. I am screwed._ Yuu backed up closer to the cream-colored wall cautiously.

The prince also seemed to raise his guard around the man, glaring as he attentively observed him, as if he expected for him to perform a suspicious action of some sort. Mikaela turned to his mother, searching for any sign of distrust from her to the general. For now, she seemed to maintain her calm exterior, but the prince was aware that it would dissolve the moment the guests left the room.

"Well, did anything exciting occur while I was gone?" Ferid asked nobody in particular.

The major general, Crowley Eusford, shrugged. "Unfortunately, no."

"Now that I'm here, surely this feast will be less bland, agreed?"

"I guess."

"No need to worry, I will exceed your expectations."

"I look forward to that then." Crowley's tone had a hint of anticipation, for he had appeared quite disinterested the entire meal and seemed to have been awaiting Ferid's arrival the entire time as a remedy for his boredom.

Ferid turned to face the prince. "Hello, Prince Mikaela. Did you miss me?"

He didn't receive any response whatsoever, for the prince ignored him and proceeded to consume his meal.

"You must have inherited that cruel gene from your mother!" He chuckles, yet no one joins him.

"Ferid, please stop disturbing my son. It is quite clear that he is absolutely disgusted with you." Krul interjected in an irritated tone. "Don't worry, Mikaela. I am not quite fond of him either, nor will I try to hide that from our guests."

"What have I done to deserve such hatred from my lovely monarchs? I am such a loyal and dedicated man, and yet this is what I receive." Ferid questioned with a feigned, offended expression.

"You are a nuisance, Ferid Bathory. If you were not as skilled as you currently are at your duty, I would have sent you away long ago."

"What is this pain, this agony I feel? Ah-it is heartbreak. This is how it shall all end for me. Farewell, my comrades. Perhaps I shall reunite with you all in the afterlife." He blew a kiss to his nonexistent spectators before he slumped down in his chair, eyes shut tight. Then, he instantly regained his posture, wearing a playful expression. "Just kidding~"

"Was that what you meant when you said you were going to make this feast less dull?" Crowley sighed, as though he had witnessed that little act countless times before.

"Was it not satisfying enough? If so, then I apologize."

"What would have been plenty more satisfying would be if you had not simply pretended that you had passed away." The queen commented in a harsh tone. "If only… agreed Mikaela?"

The queen was desperately attempting to have the prince participate in the conversation, but to no avail. He persistently remained silent, hoping to complete his meal before the others and then return to his room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuu was continuing to hyperventilate. Shinoa failed to calm him down and stop him from constantly muttering words along the lines of, "That bitch murdered my fucking family. He will fucking pay with his _life_."

Yuu was literally vibrating with wrath. Without hesitation, he would've slaughtered that man, if only he had a weapon. It frustrated him that he couldn't do so and that he was smiling so widely, despite being a murderer. _What if he called me over to fucking serve him?!_ He could only envision how outraged he would be if that was to occur. _Ha, no way I am gonna let that happen!_

"Fuck this shit, I'm out." He waved goodbye to Shinoa.

"Can you even just leave like that? You have to serve these rich bitches. Your prince isn't a bitch, so he's not included in that category, by the way."

"I don't care. What if that bastard calls me over to serve him? I'm fucking leaving before that happens."

"Seriously, you don't need to get into any more trouble than you already have." Shinoa groaned.

"How about you try to imagine someone killing Kimizuki, Yoichi, Mitsuba and I? And then you see that person again and they're acting like the happiest person in the world, as if they completely forgot how much they fucked up your life but you can't fucking kill them. That is _exactly_ how the fuck I am feeling right now."

"Go ahead and sneak away then. I'll see you later at the meeting spot."

Shinoa was aware that Guren would be completely ballistic when he discovered that she had simply allowed for Yuu to stroll away from his duties and attracting even more attention to himself, but she reassured herself that it would be quite entertaining to spectate Guren take out all his fury on Yuu. She watched Yuu as he stomped away, yet he froze as he was about to step out the door. Shinoa raised her eyebrows questionably, but when Yuu backed away, Shinoa instantly understood why he had paused. Horn Skuld was revealed, scowling at the disobedient servant before her.

"Young lady, where do you think you are going? Dinner is not quite finished yet."

"Uh… I need to go get something."

"Would you please specify as to what that something is?" She raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"A… fork? One of the diners dropped one on the ground and asked me to get a new one."

"Do you take me for a fool? None of these guests are so clumsy as to do such a thing." She glared at him for his idiocy. "Well, I shall permit you to leave, but on one condition."

"Seriously?! Thank you!" Yuu held back the temptation to hug the head maid, overcome by joy.

"Yes. You shall go clean Prince Mikaela's room. I hear that it is quite untidy as of late."

Yuu's eyes widened. "O-oh really? I can just stay, you know-"

"Ah, she would be _delighted_ to do so. She accepts the task!" Shinoa cut in, smirking.

"Well then, please hurry on over there." Horn moved out of the way, allowing him to pass. Her face brightened as she made eye contact with Crowley Eusford. "Major General!" she nearly squealed.

Yuu and Shinoa watched unbelievably as she nearly fell after swooning massively. Horn either ignored or didn't notice Crowley's aggravated expression at the sound of her voice. Yuu sighed, then glowered at his friend (he still had no clue as to how they remained friends) as he made his way over to the prince's room.

* * *

Mika was eagerly awaiting the final course so he could escape Ferid's presence. He constantly checked on the door, hoping that it would open, servants entering with large platters of food. He was becoming irritated of Ferid's attempts at flirting with the diners, including himself, and even several of the maids. The silver knife and fork laying on his napkin tempted him immensely, causing him to visualize himself gripping them tightly, impaling the general with no hesitation at all. As he glanced at the door once again, he noticed the maid from earlier unwillingly exiting the dining room. He envied her, for being able to flee from Ferid's company.

At last, a flow of servants entered the room, carrying the final course and setting the platters on the extensive table. The prince sighed in relief, reaching out much more hastily than the others towards a dish containing the night's dessert.

"Ah!" Ferid cried out in an excited voice, "poached pears! How delightful, I do enjoy an occasional one every now and then! Want to share one, Crowley?"

The major general eyed the dessert lazily. "Sorry, they're not exactly my favorite."

"But they're all the rage nowadays! Come on, just share one with me!"

"No, thank you."

"Crowley~"

"I'm sorry, General Ferid. I don't-"

The dining hall was silenced as Ferid shoved an entire poached pear into Crowley's mouth. The large fruit fit miraculously into the major general's mouth, who gagged instinctively and spit out the dessert. Ferid giggled playfully and ignored Crowley's murderous gaze, which was paired alongside a pleasant smile. Horn shrieked at Ferid, telling him to go fuck a hobo. The general responded with nothing but an amused smirk.

Mika ducked his head down to keep others from seeing him scrunch his eyes together in absolute embarrassment for the silver-haired asshole.

* * *

Yuu desperately craved to punch Shinoa enough for her to get hospitalized. Although, that wasn't anything particularly new. Yuu twitched, slightly nervous, as he headed towards the direction of the prince's room, which had been pointed out to him by a servant he had passed by. _I better hurry the fuck up with cleaning his room. I mean, what if he comes back while I'm still cleaning?! That would be embarrassing as hell!_

At last, he arrived in front of snow-white double doors that reached from the ground to the ceiling. Yuu nearly kicked the door open in frustration, but held back, instead pushing it open like a civilized human being. The moment the inside of the room came into view, Yuu was baffled as to how anyone would consider this "untidy". It was definitely much more organized than his own room back at the Japanese Imperial Army's headquarters. An extravagant crystal and silver chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and a ring of candles circled around its stem. The bed consisted of a lavish canopy, silver curtains with crimson velvet straps tying them to the bedposts, and a small nightstand with a silver candelabra on top of it. Scarlet and white silk sheets were neatly folded and laid on the bed. Several matching pillows were layered on top of each other. An unlit fireplace was situated across from the bed and a large bookshelf was adjacent to the window. The white, wooden dresser was ornamented with silver knobs, and rose a few inches taller than Yuu.

He had no idea as to where to begin since it was clearly unnecessary. The teen couldn't help but wonder what the standards for clean were at the palace if this was considered to not be so. He awkwardly straightened out the bed sheets and fluffed the pillows, although he wasn't sure if he was doing it properly. Suddenly, the door burst open and Yuu froze, unconsciously holding his breath. He heard footsteps coming closer, but they stopped abruptly.

He slowly turned around and nervously grinned. "Uh, hi?"

Just as he thought, it was the prince. After all, who else would have come into Prince Mikaela's bedroom? His eyes were wide and displayed how startled he was, although he didn't appear upset.

"This surely was not was I was expecting." Mika beamed at him. "What a pleasant surprise. Although, may I ask why you are here?"

"I was assigned to clean here," Yuu mumbled. "But it's already super clean here, so I guess I'll just, um, leave. Bye then."

Yuu scrambled towards the exit, but the prince extended his arm in front of the door, barricading the maid within his room.

"No, please stay here. It would be nice to have some company this evening."

"You gotta be kidding me, right? I'm pretty sure that I'm not very good company."

"Then, you would rather disobey your future king than have a quick chat?"

"Well, if you put it like that, then I don't really have a choice, do I?" Yuu groaned although he had no problem with having a conversation with Prince Mikaela, besides the fact that he would definitely humiliate himself.

Mika wore that irresistible grin of his and Yuu knew that if he had done so at first, that would've saved him a lot more trouble.

"Then, please sit down here." Mika gestured towards a small, wooden, oval-shaped table near the window with a pair of wooden chairs plated with silver that had intricate designs engraved into it, leather cushions and armrests.

Yuu timidly took a seat at the table, trying to look as proper as possible. "So, was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Not particularly," Mika said with a neutral expression.

"Can I leave then?"

"I'm sure we will be able to figure out something to converse about," Mika stated thoughtfully. "Well, how has working at the palace been so far? Hopefully, it wasn't too distressing."

"Don't tell anyone that I said this, but Horn Skuld is a bitch," Yuu whispered.

Mika chuckled. "I can assure you that you are not the only servant to think so."

"Yeah, I figured. I mean, who _wouldn't_ hate her? Besides my friend, Yoichi, probably. He doesn't hate _anyone_ , although I have no idea as to how that's even possible."

The prince's expression darkened for a split second before he asked, "Is your friend also working in the palace?"

"Yeah, he's working in the gardens."

"I see." Mika feigned a smile so sweet, it was more than obvious that it wasn't authentic.

Yuu, being the oblivious idiot he is, didn't seem to acknowledge Mika's alteration in mood and continued to rant about his friends.

"I have some other friends working here too. Like, Shinoa-otherwise known as Satan-and I should really stop being friends with. And Kimizuki is also a fucking asshole and is always calling me an idiot. And Mitsuba always teams up with Shinoa to tease the hell out of me. Damn, why am I friends with such bitches? The only one who isn't is Yoichi." Yuu paused, realizing that to Mika, it probably seemed that he was spouting. "Hey, do you have any friends?"

"Well, not any in particular. Unless you would like to include those that are merely interested in my power. Besides them, I have no genuine friends." Mika wore a distant expression as he glimpsed out the window. "Would you mind being my first friend?"

"Uh, do you even know my name?" Yuu questioned, baffled.

"Now that I'm reflecting on that time we met, no. We have not properly introduced ourselves. Although, I'm quite confident that you are aware as to who I am." The prince contemplated.

"Who _doesn't_ know who you are? You're the fucking heir to Sanguinem! On the other hand, I'm just some random peasant, a damn servant at the castle."

"Indeed, but a servant that stands out much more than the other servants and who's been acknowledged by that certain heir to Sanguinem. So then, would you please inform me of your name?"

"I'm Yu...i. Yui." He said cautiously, eyes filled with uncertainty and agitation, paired with his flushed cheeks that he failed to conceal.

"That name is quite nostalgic…. It sounds similar to the name belonging to someone I met at the masquerade ball that recently passed. I thought he was a woman at first, for he was wearing a gown and a wig, so I was quite surprised when he revealed his true gender." Mika's eyes seemed to glitter from the light of the setting sun streaming into the room as he recalled that night.

Yuu became tense, unsure as to how to respond. "W-what do you think about this person, for tricking you into thinking they were a girl? Do you hate him?"

"That would be quite preposterous to loathe him for such a minor thing. Now that it has crossed my mind, may I ask if you attended the masquerade ball?"

"U-uh, yeah. It was one of my first days as a maid." Yuu felt slightly guilty for lying, although the part about him going to the ball was true.

"Then you must be aware that there were a few members of the Imperial Demon Army present."

Yuu nodded, since he felt as though he had become mute.

"And that the man I am talking about was one of those rebels." Mika avoided eye contact, ashamed of himself that he even was mentioning about the group revolting against his mother. "I should detest him, shouldn't I? After all, he is my mother's enemy. However, my feelings towards him are far from hatred."

"Are you saying that you...like him? As in, I-would-elope-with-him-any-day like?" Yuu stammered with disbelief.

"I am not certain, for I have never fallen in love before. But I believe that I love him in that manner."

"W-why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I feel as though I can trust you. After all, we are friends, correct?"

"Y-yeah, sure."

"Then, I can inform you of any sort of secret, correct?"

"Well yeah, I guess that's what friends do."

"If you would like to inform me of anything, I would be glad to listen. It is the most I can do in exchange for you hearing me out."

"How about you start talking more casually? The way you talk is so annoying."

"If that is what you request, then of course."

"See? This is what I'm talking about. Just say, 'Sure'. It's as simple as that."

"S-sure." Mika hesitated, feeling as though his current speech was unnatural.

"There you go! That's so much better." Yuu beamed at him.

"It is getting quite late, isn't it? The sun has nearly set." Mika commented.  
"You're reverting back to your other way of talking," Yuu complained, without processing what Mika was actually saying. "Wait, it's that late already?! Shit, I have other stuff to do!"

"Must you leave? I'm sure if you inform the head maid that I was to blame, it shall be fine." Mika protested determinedly.

"Fucking Horn Skuld hates me enough, so I better go," Yuu grumbled in irritation.

"Then promise me that you will return here tomorrow."

"I guess...if I have time."

"How about after dinner? Do you think that would be a suitable time?"

"That depends on that slut with dumb, drill-shaped hair."

"Thanks, Yui." Mika beamed at his new, and first, friend.

Yuu stood up and pushed in his chair before rushing out the door, doing his best not to look back and show the prince his blush. Once he had stepped out the door, he shrieked quietly, overjoyed after his conversation with the prince. He skipped towards the meeting spot, practically radiating sunshine and gay ass rainbows. _I better fucking be able to see Mika tomorrow. Or else a certain blonde bitch is going to he_ ll.


End file.
